Flexible conduit.



M. P. McLA UGH FLEXIBLE GONDUIT. APPLIQATLON, FILED FEB. 5, 1914.

5 1 9 1 6 1 b e F m B m m a P 2 SHEETS EET 1' M. P. MOLAUGHLIN. FLEXIBLE CONDUIT. APPLIOATION'PILED 1 33.5, 1914.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

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To all whom it mayco ncem-p. I

Be it known that I, "oar; MclLAnen- LIN, a citizen of the Unitedj St ates, and a resident of--Wakefield, in the county of Middlesex and State'of Massachusetts, have in- .vented certain new and usefuh'lmprovements in Flexible Conduits, ofaw following is a specification. Y lFhis invention relates to the tie lble portions of steam'conduits emplp'yed onra-ilway the trains for heating cars by steam from the boiler ojt' the engine, said flexible portions being located between the train units, which include the engine, tender and cars, andcon- '5 forming to independent movements of said unitsi The object of the invention is to provide a flexible conduit of maximum flexibility and durability, and of simple construction.

a The invention-consists. in the improveirnents which lwill now proceed to-describe Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 represents a sideviewshowing three,parts or members of a flexible conduit embodying my invention; Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of-1;'.Fig. '3 represents a side 7 view of the ..part's shownby Fig. 1, taken from a di-fi'erent point; Fig.- 4 represents a section on line 4-4: of Fig. 2; Fig. 5repr'ese'nts a section'on line 5- -5 of Fig. 2; Fig.

6 represents asection on line 6-.6 of Fig. 1, and a'top plan view, partly in section,- of

:a' the partsx'below saidlinetFig. 7 represents atop-plan viewjshow'inglother parts ofrthe I Mia-p p conduit; Fig. 8 represents a side view of a complete .gflexible conduit adapted for ...use Q between an engine and its tendergFFi'gpt) represents a side view ef a complete flexible conduitiadapted for use betweengt'wo 'cars I Fig. ltl'irepresent's a view similar; to F1g.i 5,

showing "an "antifrict'i-onal connecting means The? ame reference characters gind'icate thefsambjor similar-f arts; in all the views. 4

1 "Theterm'svertica and horizontalhereint; after employed are used relatit ely 'to con 'vey'thei idea-that the parts. or-portions .described'jgas vertical are substantiallyat right the parts or portions described Specification of letters Patent,

@clii'ng means like those "shown by: v

" i an integral head 26 (Fig.- 10).

. pii ems, ajfi W .i 'tic'al conduit member attached by an elbow 13 e w se t a fi e tt n tl g h t Patented not, in, role,

Application filed February 5, 19M; 2 Serial No. 816,790.

as shown by Fig. 8, may be understood to be i attached to a locomotive, andg asf'shown by 1 1 Fig. 9, may be understood to be attached to atender or to a car. The fixed member'12 isenlarged at its lower portion to form an upwardly facing annular shoulder or ball seat .15.

I Rotatably'mountedupon the enlargement of fixed member 12, is a coupling member,"

said coupling member being provided with an annular-shoulder against which the lower gagement, said bearing member having a.

downwardly facing ball seat 18 and an upwardly extended tubular boss 16*. The ball seat 18 rests upon anti-friction balls 19 in;

t-erposed between vthe same and the ball seat 15. lh'e ball seats and balls constitute connecting means for supporting and .p're-j 'venting vertical displacement of the angular member, said means being antifrictional so that the angular member turns with; the

minimum of frictional resistance.

. The horizontal portion 17 of the angular member constitutes'a bearingrin which a horizontal conduit member 21 is adapted to turn. Said horizontal conduit member com municates with the vertical and: angular conduit members either through ports 22 as shown by Figs.'2 and 5, or through its open inner end-as shown by Fig. 10. Means are provided for confining or preventing outward endwise displacement of the horizontal member" 21. Said means may comprise opposed flanges 23, 24 and a practically 1ncompressible packing. ring 25 as shown by Y Fig.5, ,ori ball'seats-15 18 and interposed ,balls'19 as shown by Fig. 10, the last mentioned means being antifrictional; Oneend 00f the horizontal portion 17 may be closed -member 21is prevented by the fluid pressure "acting against the shoulder or "face 21 within said member, said pressure :forcing the member 21 outwardly to the lim t permlttedby the confiningme'ans;

- The parts above 'descrl the entire coupling, a duplicate set being provi'dedetthe opposite end of said space Inward bed constitute a set located at one ,end of thespace bridged by an shown by Figs. -.8jand 9,1111 which 14 shown as flexibly connected by pipes 29 (Fig 8) attached at their outer ends to the horizontal members 21 and flexibly connected at their inner ends by a joint at 30 which may be composed of conduit members 17 and 21 constructed like the members 17 and 21. In Fig. 9 the two sets are shown as connected by two pairs of pipes 32, 33, the pipes of each pair being flexibly connected by joints at 3d, 34, each of which may be similar to the joint at 30. The meeting ends of the pipes 33 may be detachably connected by a coupling at 36, which may be of any suitable construction. I

37 represents a packing sleeve detachably secured to the boss 16, as shown by Fig. 2, and having a tapered end portion inclosing a tapered packing 38 which is pressed into the tapered end of the chamber by means of a spring 39 one end of which bears against boss 16, a steam-tight joint being thus formed. A similar packing chamber 37 containing a .packing 38* and spring 3.9 may be applied to the horizontal coupling member 21 as shown by Fig. 10.

The portion 17 of the angular conduit member constitutes a conduit extension which is located at or projects from one side of the vertical axis of the angular member. The horizontal conduit member 21 also has an extension within the portion 17. Said extensions and the head 26 are located at the opposite side of the vertical axis of the angular member from the main conduit portion of the horizontal-member 21, so that the center of gravity of the angular memher and the horizontal member is located at or near the vertical axis of the angular I member, which is thereby enabled to turn with the minimum of frictional resistance.

The said extensions form a cul-de-sac or pocket. 21 in which stagnant fluid accumulates at one sideof the path of thegeneral stream, this stagnant. fluid reducing to :the minimum the friction of the flowing stream where its direction is changed from avertical to :a horizontal direction.

It is obvious that the described flexible conduit may be usedtfor' conducting air or other fluids as Well as -steam. I

Havi described my invention, I claim:

1. A fiaxible conduit comprising a con- "member forming a fixed journal and provided with a bearing seat, a coupling I member rotatably mounted u on said fixed journal and provided with a caring sleeve arranged at an angle to lthe bore of stheconduit member, a'bearing member having one end connected to said coupling member and provided wijtlra bearing seat'cooperating with the first mentioned bearingseat to support said coupling member, a packing sleeve connected to the other'end of said bearing memher, and surrounding said fixed journal, packing within said sleeve, means coiiperating with said bearing member to maintain a pressure uponsaid packing, and a second conduit member rotatably mounted in said bearing sleeve.

2. A flexible conduit comprising a conduit member forming a fixed journal and provided with a bearing seat, a couplin member iotatably mounted upon said fixed ournal and provided with a bearing sleeve arranged at an angle to the bore of the conduit member, a bearing member having one end connected to said coupling member and provided with a bearing seat cooperating with the first mentioned bearing seat to support said coupling member, a packin sleeve connected to the other end of sai bearin member, and surrounding said fixed journa, said sleeve being tapered at one end, packing within the tapered portion of a said sleeve, means coiiperating with said bearing member to retain saidpacking within said tapered portion, and a second tonduit member rotatably mounted in said bearing sleeve. I

3. A flexible conduit comprising a conduit member forming a fixed journal and provided with a bearing seat, a couplin member rotatably mounted upon said fixe ournal and provided with a bearing sleeve arranged at an angle to the bore of the conduit member, a bearing member having one end connected to said coupling member and provided with a bearing seat coiiperating with the first mentioned bearing seat to support said coupling member, a packing sleeve connected to the other end of said'bearin member, and surrounding said fixed journa said packing sleevehaving a tapered portion, packingwithin said tapered portion, a .sprin having one end bearing against said padnng, anrkthe other bearing against said bearing mom or, said spring encircling said fixed journal, and a second conduit member rotatably mounted in said bearing sleeve- 4. A flexible conduit comprising a conduit memberlforming a fixed journal and provided with a bearing seat, a coupling member rotatably mounted upon said fixed journaha bearing member having one end gular coupling member, conduit members rotatably engaging the respective arms of said coupling member, and each provided bearing members for maintaining a pressure upon said packing.

6. A flexible conduit comprising an angular coupling member, having in each of its arms a bearing seat, conduit members rotatably engaging the arms of the coupling member, and provided with hearing seats opposed to the seats of the angular coupling member, one of said conduit members being fixed and constituting a journal Whereo'n one arm of the angular coupling member is rotatable, while the other conduit member is rotatable in the other arm of the an ular coupling member, the bearing seat or the fixed conduit member supporting the angular coupling member and the rotatable conduit member engaged therewith, the said rotatable conduit member being provided with an internal shoulder through which fluid pressure is exerted in an outward endwise direction on said rotatable member.

In testimony whereof l have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

MILTON P. MOLAUGHLIN.

Witnesses C. 1B. BROWN, P. W. PEzzET'rI. 

